Orange County’s biggest women-owned businesses combined to grow revenue by 7% last year, notching a fourth-straight year of top-line gains for a total of $3.1 billion.
The 88 companies on this week’s Business Journal list nearly matched their jump in sales with job creation, combining to employ 5,824 in Orange County, up nearly 5% from a year earlier. They have more than 26,000 workers when companywide operations are counted, a 14% increase.
The women-owned enterprises outpaced the largest private companies based here in terms of the percentage increase in local jobs. The 103 private companies—each of which had a minimum of $100 million in revenue and were listed by the Business Journal last month—combined for a 2% gain in local workers, for a total of 48,600. This week’s list features locally based companies with a minimum of $5 million in annual revenue and at least 51% ownership held by females, a standard for certification by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
The list reflects the wide variety of industries in which local female business leaders thrive, ranging from healthcare technology and cyber security to restaurant chains and contract manufacturing.
Half of the entries—44—reported revenue increases, including 29 that had double- or triple-digit percentage gains. Four companies reported flat revenues, and 14 had decreases. The Business Journal made estimates for 26 of the companies.
The recent pace of growth among the women-owned businesses here closely tracks the gains for OC’s largest private businesses, which had a 7% increase in revenue to top $71 billion.
The two biggest women-owned businesses kept their places on the list.
In-N-Out
• No. 1, In-N-Out Burgers Inc., had an estimated $558 million in revenue. The Irvine-based burger chain is 100% owned by Lynsi Snyder, granddaughter of the company’s late founders. In-N-Out employs 1,500 in Orange County.
• No. 2, Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel, had $240 million in revenue. The dealer is owned by Lorelei Pingree and to employs about 270 here.
• Irvine-based Technologent moved up one spot to No. 3 with a 35% increase in revenue to $189 million. The company, 51% of which is owned by Lezlie Gallaway, has 77 OC employees, up by nine in the past year. It has 168 employees overall.
• Rauxa, No. 16, had a 15% increase in revenue to $54.5 million, moving up one spot. The Costa Mesa-based marketing agency has 75 employees in OC, up about 9%, and 184 overall.
Chief Executive Jill Gwaltney, who is 87% owner, founded Rauxa in 1999 after working in the direct-mail printing business with her father for 20 years.
“He was a fantastic mentor and taught me a ton,” Gwaltney said. “He used to tell me, ‘Figure out what customers need and get it done.’ … We’re still operating by these principles, but based on the needs of our clients, we’ve evolved into a full-service marketing agency, most recently adding media planning and buying.”
Rauxa’s work includes website design, mobile strategies and content management services for such clients as LinkedIn, Mattel and Chase.
• Irvine-based defense contractor Linmarr Associates Inc. had the largest percentage jump on the list—110%—for a total of $12.6 million. The revenue growth pushed the company up 28 spots to No. 45.
Linmarr—52% of which is owned by President Sharon Hoffman—sells aircraft and military vehicles, along with electrical and industrial hardware, to the U.S. military. Government data indicate Linmarr had more than 600 government contracts in 2013, a record number, which totaled about $9.4 million. The company had about 250 contracts in 2012 to about $3.8 million in value.
• A number of businesses on the list had revenue drops last year, including No. 86, Natures Image Inc. in Lake Forest. Natures Image specializes in native habitat restoration and maintenance and had $5.2 million in revenue last year, down about 4%.
Founder and President Michelle Caruana has a 53% stake. The company has 77 employees overall, including 33 in Orange County.
• Aliso Viejo-based law firm Palumbo Bergstrom LLP had a 15% revenue drop to $7.1 million. It landed at No. 73 on the list, slipping 18 spots. The firm is owned by name partners Diana Palumbo and Julia Bergstrom. It has other offices in San Diego, Las Vegas and Lone Tree, Colo.
This week’s list features 19 newcomers. Several debuted by way of growing their revenues beyond the $5 million threshold over the past year, while some were added due to general increases in the Business Journal’s research efforts and participation of women-owned businesses throughout Orange County.
Digital Peripheral
• Anaheim-based Digital Peripheral Solutions Inc. landed at No. 11 with a 13% increase in revenue to $62 million. The company makes surveillance cameras and other security products for homes and businesses.
Priti Sharma, who founded the company in 2002, is 100% shareholder and works with her son, Rashi, who is a project manager.
“We’ve been growing since our company was incorporated,” Sharma said. “The first four or five years, we grew more than 100%, and it became a little bit slower, but it’s been consistent.”
Digital Peripheral’s products are sold at various electronics stores, including CompUSA and TigerDirect. Sharma said the company is in the process of putting its products in 1,000 Home Depot stores throughout the U.S.
• Orange-based Crane Rental Service Inc. also debuted on the list at No. 74, thanks to 21% revenue growth to $7 million. It has 30 employees here, unchanged from a year ago. Sisters Cathleen Greinke, Kim Beaudette and Lori Hunter own 75% of the company, with their brother Greg Foster as the fourth co-owner. The siblings got Crane’s from their father, Bill, who founded the company in 1965 in Tustin.
